title: Peer presence and the emergence of conditioned reinforcement from observation.
abstract: We examined the effects of peer presence on the conditioning of new reinforcers via observation. At the outset, strings and toothpicks did not reinforce maintenance or acquisition responses for 3 preschoolers with and without developmental delays. In the first intervention, the stimuli were placed in a cup in front of an empty chair next to the participant, and the participant was denied access to those stimuli. The second intervention was identical to the first, except that a peer was present. Postintervention tests revealed that only the peer intervention was successful in conditioning neutral stimuli as reinforcers for both maintenance and acquisition responses for all 3 participants. The presence of a peer appears to facilitate the conditioning of reinforcers by observation.
authors.affiliation: Teachers College, Columbia University.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Singer-Dudek
authors.forename: Mara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oblak
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019370:Observation; D010379:Peer Group; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology
keywords: conditioned reinforcement; observational learning; peers